Atlantis and Auditions

October 2011

Approaching quickly are auditions for "Dakota Jones and the Search for Atlantis," written by Aaron Randolph III '12 and directed by Daniel Sheridan '05. This new and exciting children's show is rife with stunning visual images, and the design team is sure to pull out all the stops to make the set and costumes as stunning and captivating as the music and dialogue in the show.

So what's the show about?

The main character, Dakota Jones–a precocious little girl with a passion for adventure and exploration–goes on a quest to find Atlantis with her wacky Uncle Hairbrain after learning about mythology and Atlantis from her teacher. During her adventures, Dakota encounters the characters from the myths and befriends them. Throughout her exploration, her superintendent–a grouchy work-a-holic–and his secretary follow her and try to ruin her fun, but in the end they just might learn a thing or two about how to have fun.

So is this show just for children?

No, definitely not. Dakota Jones is a story about adventure that can engage audiences of all ages. The songs are catchy and energetic which appeals to the younger audience members, but they also refer to things that older audience members will understand. Without a doubt the design team will be able to present something that is visually stunning and captivating for all ages.

When asked what he was most excited to see realized by the designers, Randolph said, "Atlantis! It is without a doubt the thing that stuck out to me. I can't wait to see the sort of underwater Las Vegas that the entire team will be able to create."

What's ahead for the development of Dakota Jones?

Randolph and Sheridan definitely have their work cut out for them, but it will be a collaborative work: constantly changing and evolving to fit the reality of what the cast can do and how they see it.

They want to cast 14–22 cast members. The reasoning for the large span is because "we just simply don't know how much we can ask for, what we are going to get, and we still probably won't have a set cast number until after auditions," states Sheridan.

Randolph admits that he has a couple more rewrites to do now that he has been able to hear some feedback and had people read his play out loud.

Here's what to expect at auditions

You're going to have to sing, so bring a 16 bar cut, or a verse and a chorus, along with a storytelling piece such as your favorite nursery rhyme, poem, or a fitting monologue. It is recommended that everyone auditioning has a storytelling piece to share (keep it short, 60–90 seconds) because the pieces will be explored further at auditions. You're also going to be doing some movement, so please wear appropriate clothing, especially with regards to your shoes, or bring something to change into.

And you probably want to know when and where!

Auditions are Tuesday, October 11 at 4:30 pm and Wednesday, October 12 at 6 pm on the Allaert Auditorium Stage, in the Galvin Fine Arts Center.

The show will be running November 30-December 4. We hope to see you at auditions.